Something to Protect
by LostInSiberia.14
Summary: After the death of Kagome, Inuyasha returns her body and the jewel to her time and seals the well. Five hundred years later give or take a few decades he's looking for her again, determined to save her life.
1. Prologue

Prologue

"You do realize that this isn't going to work… don't you?"

The man gave a snort of indifference, in an attempt to brush off the comment, but the woman beside him knew better. "You'll never be able to find her in there."

"I will too!" he bellowed, and Jessica looked up at her silver-haired companion with a raised eyebrow. The young woman from America engaged in a staring contest with her best friend for a few seconds, before sighing and continuing to walk. "You're impossible." She sighed, sipping her smoothie.

He was still standing there dumbly, staring at the spot she'd just been, as if not yet realizing that she'd walked off. "Hey!" he yelled and took off after her, finally catching up as she stopped at the corner, waiting for the walk' sign to flash.

"This was your idea, you know." He groused and as he looked down through his peripheral vision, she saw a flash of red as she shook her head, a breeze tossing her crimson hair about slightly. He could just imagine her grey eyes, giving him a dour look as she marveled at his stubbornness yet again. She'd get that one look, the pouty one, where her full pink lips would point downward slightly, her thin auburn eyebrows quirking at him, on her face and then say something slightly smart-aleck; but true nonetheless. He continued to watch her, and turned as she did, so they were once again facing each other.

"No." she corrected. "Looking for her in a coffee shop was not my idea. I said to look for her in clothing stores and at school. Not a coffee shop."

He bristled, knowing she was right. She was _always_ right. He knew it, too. But that didn't mean he was going to let it show. A soft, musical laughter tinkled beside him and he spun around to look at her.

The twenty-six year old woman was laughing at him! This is small, pushy, sensitive surgeon was laughing at HIM. The mighty hanyou. Said hanyou glared at her, his nose twitching as he smelled the spike in her amusement, and leaned down to stare her in the eyes, making the woman before him go cross-eyed. She wrinkled her nose a bit at him, before the light changed and she continued walking.

He snorted. She was as impossible as him, sometimes. He supposed that's why they'd made friends.

He watched her walk away, red braid swishing as she walked, a few loose tendrils hanging out of place. She looked stupid, or so he'd told her that morning. She was still wearing her scrubs and lab coat from the hospital. She hadn't even bothered to change.

_Because she dropped everything to come with me. She was working since really early and she hasn't even been home to change._

This is why they were friends, he supposed. Even though they bickered, they were extremely loyal to each other. He'd never forget the day they'd met…

**The bar was open late, lucky for him.**

**He** **sighed, pushing the door open, a bell clinking as he did so. No one really looked up. He made his way in silence up to the bar and sat down on a stool, not really paying attention to the petite woman sitting beside him.**

**George, the bartender, made his way over to him, still in the middle of cleaning a glass. "Hey,** **man." He greeted with a smile. "The usual?"**

**Lifting a clawed hand to scratch at his silver dog ears under the hat,** **he** **nodded. "Yeah. But double it."**

**George** **frowned a bit but nodded and walked off. There was a sudden clink beside him and** **the man** **turned to the sound of the noise, and saw her for the first time.**

**She was wearing a white lab coat and blue scrubs, so of course he assumed she was a doctor. Lengthy red hair fell in waves over her shoulder. Reading glasses balanced precariously on the end of her nose, a slightly freckled nose. With his youkai vision he could see she had grey** **eyes,** **and he noticed dark lashes lay gently on a smooth cheek as they closed. She seemed familiar, what was it about her..?**

**He surprised himself when he spoke.**

"**Long day?"**

**The girl turned to look at him, and for an instant,** **he** **was surprised. He'd never seen such sadness in a person, such horrible grief. It was like looking at himself, in an almost alternate universe. She looked how he** **felt.**

**Nonetheless, she managed a smile and nodded. "Yeah. I'm a** **surgeon;** **it's my job to have long days."**

**He noticed the way her voice seemed almost musical. It was soft and sweet, yet domineering, and he could almost see her up on stage singing her heart out.**

**She took another swig of her drink and held her hand out. "Jessica." She said with another small smile, and he took her offered hand. "Inuyasha."**

**Jessica looked at him a bit curiously. "I didn't think you were from around here." She mused as they dropped hands. He chuckled. "No, I'm from Tokyo."**

**The woman's eyes widened a bit with curiosity. "Really?"**

**He chuckled. "Yeah. I come here every winter to get some better weather."**

**An auburn eyebrow was quirked at him.** **"And you picked Boston."**

**He laughed aloud at this and she joined him. "Yeah, and I think I made a good choice** **after all."**

**She smiled. For real, this time.**

It hadn't taken long for the two of them to become close. After all the years of pain and heartache, he had finally allowed someone else into his heart. He hadn't done that since….

_Kagome._

He allowed a smile to creep across his lips, but there was also a slight pain in his heart. He missed her. Gods, how he missed her. He still had yet to find her, but maybe with Jessica's help he could. What were friends for, huh?

He'd grown to care for this woman, much like he'd cared for Sango all those years ago. But, of course, one mustn't get too attached. Humans, they died easily. He was afraid to lose her. She was his best friend.

She'd made her way across the street now, and was standing at the corner, waiting for him.

"Inuyasha!" she called, looking a bit perplexed. "If we're going to find Kagome we've got to get a move on!"

Smiling, he broke into a light jog and caught up to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders protectively.

"You really think we will?"

Jessica looked up at him and smiled. "Yeah. I do."

**Wah-ha. Review. I want at least one or two before I update again. Let me know what you think.**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 : The Coffee Shop

Jessica and Inuyasha entered the coffee shop, as he held the door open for her. Looking a bit over her shoulder, Jessica couldn't help but wonder even still how one minute he could be so stubborn and hard-headed, then the next opening doors for her.

_He's bipolar._ She thought with an inward chuckle, but she knew it wasn't true. She could be the same way, really. That's what happens when you lose your reason for living. You try to protect yourself from death, even if there's no reason to hold on anymore. That, to her, was true strength.

The coffee shop smelled absolutely delicious and Jessica instantly deposited her empty smoothie cup into a garbage can and skittered over to the nearest barista. Inuyasha followed, amber eyes casting curiously about the place.

The scents almost overtaxed his sensitive nose, but he knew for a fact that if Kagome was there he'd find her. There was no doubt in his mind.

Jessica's cell phone was ringing. With a sigh, he watched as she picked it up.

"This is Dr. Edmunds. (pause) Oh, hi, Kouga."

Inuyasha's skin bristled. He still detested that mangy wolf. Although he could still hear her due to his superior hearing abilities, he tried to ignore their conversation. He never should've introduced them, she was his buddy too. Buddy, not best friend. Big difference.

"No, he doesn't have them. We're at a coffee shop. Coffee shop. (pause) Because. You know why. (pause) No, I don't care. Sheesh."

The only recognizable scents in the room were that of coffee and other spices, and of course, Jessica. She had a rather complex smell, he noticed. He'd studied her scent in the past.

She smelled like flowers, those purple ones… Lavender. Yes, it was definitely lavender. She'd always scoffed that it was her shampoo but he knew all too well that she used citrus. She'd chucked a bottle at him once when he was helping her unpack groceries. She had quite the arm.

He could still hear her talking, faintly, since he'd moved away a bit.

"The Takahashi file? Umm…"

She waved at him and mouthed 'blueprints.' He cursed mentally. He worked with Kouga and Sesshomaru was an architect in their firm, 'Taishou.' He was supposed to have blueprints finished for an impatient client ASAP.

'Tomorrow.' he mouthed back and she gave him a sour look before turning back to the conversation.

"He said he'll have the blueprints done by tomorrow. He'll just bring them by. (pause) Well tell Sesshomaru to can it."

He blanched. She was the only person besides himself and Rin, Sesshomaru's mate, that ever spoke to the great Inu youkai lord like that and lived. He started thinking again.

Jessica's scent, similar to Kagome's, was calming and soothing to him. He'd been in love with Kagome, sure, but Jessica was his first true friend. He'd never been closer to anyone in that aspect.

Inuyasha's ears swiveled to listen to Jessica and Kouga's conversation.

"Of course we're coming tomorrow. He's excited. (pause) No really, he is. Does Ayame want me to bring a covered dish? (pause) Well ask her then!"

He snorted and zoned out again.

Emotions and environment were also evident in the young woman's scent. He could smell others' blood on her, and sickness, usually when she came home from a long day at work. She smelled faintly of sadness sometimes, and those were the particularly hard days were she'd lost a patient or two. He could smell her desire to help others, and it was a bit astonishing to him. How could she be so broken and still want to help people? He'd been through his share of hardship, and look at his attitude. He didn't give a crap about half the people he met, whereas she helped them even if they insulted her. But then, of course, once they were healed she'd give them a good shouting at.

"Okay, cool. You're an idiot. Tell her thanks. (pause) Aw, no problem. See you tomorrow."

_She's bipolar. _He mused, watching as she shut her phone, came back with a white-chocolate mocha, and the two sat down at a small table. Of course, it wasn't true, she was caring and intelligent and was just trying to protect herself and get her point across. Of course she should know she'd never have to worry about that anymore, because he would protect her, but she was stubborn as him and he doubted the point had gotten too far across yet.

With a small sigh, Jessica grabbed her straw and started playing with it, watching as the dark green plastic drinking device made small lumps and air pockets in the cream filled to the brim under the plastic lid. Inuyasha watched her with a furrowed brow, concerned. She wasn't usually this quiet.

"Something on your mind?" he asked, and her intelligent eyes lifted to his, piercing grey meeting molten amber. She saw the lines of worry racing across his face, from where he was currently looking concerned at her. She looked away a bit, and sighed. "Not a thing."

One of his dark ebony eyebrows shot into the air and he eyed her skeptically. "Sure, and I'm level-headed. What's the matter?"

Her eyes drifted back down to her drink and she resumed mutilating the cream with her straw. Her red bangs swept over her forehead, hiding her eyes from his view. "I'm okay, really, it's just..." she trailed off. He caught the spike of guilt in her scent, and though it confused him, his ears swiveled forward to catch every tone of her voice. "I really want you to find her. I don't want you getting disappointed again."

His heart went out to her. She was always sad because of him, it seemed. Even when it wasn't her fault, even when she helped him and made him feel better there was always a lingering sadness in her eyes. Like she was dying to fix him, but knew she couldn't.

He allowed a small sigh to pass his lips and reached across the table, laying a clawed hand over hers. He didn't miss the skip in her heartbeat, she was a bit startled. She must've been day-dreaming again and almost forgotten he was there.

His hand wrapped around hers, and not for the first time he marveled at the size difference. Hers was small, light and delicate, while his was large, rough and calloused. He always had to be extremely gentle with her, and he was surprised she didn't flinch at even the slightest physical contact with him. He was always afraid he'd scrape her or cut her or something.

For a brief moment, she was still, but slowly her hand shifted a bit and her slender fingers wrapped around his. He smiled a bit, before squeezing her hand lightly and speaking.

"I'll find her." he reassured and felt the sadness enter her scent once again. "And if I don't it's not our destiny."

Slowly, her eyes lifted to his, sadness reflecting back at him. "But you love her, so much and, I don't want you to lose-"

"Then stay with me." He said simply and her eyes widened slightly. "Be my friend, like you've always been, and I'll be okay."

Still she frowned and he wondered what he'd said to make her upset.

There was an uneasy silence, until-

"I can't stay with you forever."

Her hand slipped from his and he looked at her with wide eyes. But she'd promised, she'd-

"It's impossible."

Inuyasha blinked at his human counterpart, thoroughly confused. "Jess-" he began but she cut him off.

"Even if I stay with you all my life, even if I do then I'll die eventually. My hair will be silver like yours and you won't look as if you've aged a day."

His ears lowered. He'd thought about that, all the time. He would miss her when she was gone. And she couldn't help it. She didn't want to abandon him, and for the first time he knew that he wouldn't lose her to another, since they were merely best friends. But Inuyasha had a jealous rival that he couldn't beat – Time. He knew one day he'd lose her. There was no way around it.

He opened his mouth to say something when a rapid beeping caught his attention and Jessica instantly grabbed the pager clipped to her belt, pressing a button to shut it off and reading the message. She sighed. "I have to go."

She stood to leave, reaching into her pocket for her cell to call a cab but his hand stopped her. Surprised, she blinked up at him to see his eyes full of slight guilt and sadness. "I'll take you." He said. "And we'll talk later."

She smiled at him, a bit sadly, and they exited the coffee shop together. Turning off into an alleyway, Inuyasha crouched down slightly and felt the redhead surgeon climb on his back, holding tightly to his shoulders. He loved jumping and running about with her, but he couldn't do it often for fear of being sighted by humans ignorant to the existence of youkai.

"Free ticket on the Hanyou Express." He said with a wink over his shoulder at her and, once she was secure, leapt high into the air onto the rooftop of the nearest building. Quickly, faster than a preoccupied human could track with the naked eye, he leapt and sped towards Tokyo hospital. He could hear her laughing lightly every so often, and that made him smile.

Presently, they landed on the roof of the hospital and Jessica slid off his back. "Want to come?" she asked him. "It might just be a check up, and if I have to stay longer you could always leave. I just don't want you to leave and come back in ten minutes because it's something trivial."

He looked at her thoughtfully and nodded. "Sure."

Smiling, she tucked a strand of fiery hair behind her ear and pushed open the roof walkway door, heading down the steps to the lobby.

She walked quickly, professionally, and here especially she was pulled together and composed. But the exhaustion fell off of her in waves, he noticed. He could smell it.

"Dr. Edmunds." A receptionist smiled up at Jessica, and she returned the gesture in kind. "Good afternoon, Elizabeth. Have you seen Dr. Harper, she paged me."

Elizabeth nodded. "She in the trauma room. Just called to see if you were in."

Jessica sighed slightly. "Thanks."

Inuyasha in tow, Jessica hurried to the trauma room, swiping her I.D. card and pulling her companion with her into the E.R.

A short, middle-aged blonde woman was waiting for her. Jessica's pace slowed to a stop as they met each other halfway. Instantly, Dr. Harper shoved a clipboard into Jessica's arms. Jessica frowned. "Lily." She said quickly, her brow furrowed in worry. "What's going on? My shift is over, I was here since-"

"I know." The short woman gave a small nod to Inuyasha, before taking Jessica's arm and leading her back to the surgery prep rooms. "I just thought you ought to see this."

Inuyasha and Jessica exchanged glances and simultaneously turned their attention to Lily. She pulled back the curtain and Jessica felt her stomach drop. The clipboard fell to the floor with a small clink and her hands flew to her mouth. He'd never seen her look so terrified. Instantly, Inuyasha's arm was around her. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but she answered his unasked question for him.

"Father."


	3. Chapter 2

Of course I do not own Inuyasha. That's Rumiko-sama's job. /envy

"No way! There is absolutely no way in HELL I'm doing this!"

Ears flattening on his head, Inuyasha closed the door behind him softly. Jessica was an absolute wreck. He'd managed to get her home before she freaked out on Lily, but now as he dead bolted the lock on her front door, he wondered if maybe he should've let her beat up the other woman to vent her frustration.

"Jess…" he offered, and she spun around, her eyes full of anger and pain. "No!" she barked, and he winced slightly.

She disappeared into the kitchen and he heard a loud clank and the sound of something being poured. He followed quickly, intent on taking her alcohol if that was what it was, anyway. But upon his arrival he was relieved to find that she was sitting on the island in the middle of the kitchen, looking sullen, a large glass of chocolate milk in her hands.

Her braid had become dislodged during their jump home and now her curly red hair cascaded over her shoulders and framed her face, hiding it from his view. Her head was bowed, her shoulders shivering slightly. His heart twinged with pain and he reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder. She didn't move.

He grabbed a chair and pulled it up to sit in front of her. Her eyes were squeezed shut, probably trying to keep tears at bay. He took the glass of chocolate milk from her hands, setting it down on the island beside her. Her hands were shaking. He grabbed them and held them tightly.

"Jessi, it's going to be okay." He reassured softly. She sniffled and slowly leaned forward. He stood up and caught her, lifting her up, a hand behind her knees and her back. Slowly, he carried her into her bedroom and laid her down on the pillows. She looked up at him, her eyes sad and helpless. He pulled off her Mary Jane shoes and her socks, helping her out of her lab coat and taking her pager and stethoscope. He put everything on her window seat and kicked off his own shoes before sitting down on the bed next to her. She'd rolled herself onto her side, her red hair covering her face once again. He frowned and pushed it away, but she didn't respond.

"I'm not going to ask." He said softly.

Surprised, her gray eyes shifted to his. He looked at her with a soft, sad smile. "But it'll be okay. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Tears welled up in her eyes and she closed them tightly, curling up into a ball. He sighed and climbed in beside her, circling his arms around her small frame. He buried his nose into her flowery hair and held her as she cried herself to sleep.

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"_I really miss your hair in my face, and the way your innocence tastes… And I think you should know this… you deserve much better than me…"_

One golden eye cracked open at the sound and Inuyasha grumbled as his sensitive hearing picked up the sounds of Jessica's cell phone ringing from the living room. The eye slowly drifted shut again as the music shut off abruptly, and he nestled his nose more into her hair, breathing in her scent and preparing to go back to sleep. She hadn't stirred, so he wouldn't bother with it. Sighing lightly, he was just beginning to doze once again when the same ring tone resounded in his ears. He instantly growled lightly and, his ears twitching, he managed to squirm out of his friend's embrace and leap out of her bed, landing on soft feet without disturbing her. Casting a quick glance over at her, Inuyasha smiled slightly as she curled up a bit, murmuring but still sleeping.

Leaping lightly over the couch, Inuyasha grabbed the phone and flipped it open. "Hello?" He scratched his head and yawned slightly, his voice still groggy from sleep.

"You aren't Jessica." A female voice pointed out, and he blinked. "Well no shit." He barked. "Who the hell is this?"

The girl snorted. "Her best friend. Give her the phone."

Inuyasha scowled slightly, though he knew the girl couldn't see it. "As if. She's finally resting and I ain't gonna wake her up. Who is this?!"

"Paige." She answered coolly. "I know she's been really tired. But as soon as she wakes up, can you have her call me? It's really important. Not an emergency, but important."

Inuyasha yawned again, his ire already forgotten. "Sure."

She girl sighed slightly. "Is she okay?"

He paused, and shifted a bit so he could see a small glimpse of her lying in her bed, sleeping soundly. "She will be." He said softly in response to the woman on the phone. "She's got a lot on her mind, and she's tired."

Paige seemed a lot gentler now. "You're Inuyasha, aren't you?"

He blinked, caught completely off guard. Clearing his throat, he answered. "Yes."

She hesitated, and he could hear the small smile in her voice as she spoke. "I'm glad." She spoke softly. "I'm glad that you take care of her."

He found himself suddenly standing in the doorway of her bedroom, though he had no recollection of getting up and walking over. A fond smile graced his lips as he watched her breathing smoothly, one hand curled up by her peaceful face.

After a brief pause, he spoke. "Me too."

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The stars twinkled brightly through Jessica's broad bay window and she stretched, yawning as her gray eyes fluttered open. "Blah." She groused, pushing herself into a sitting position and groping for a hair tie. As she strategically pulled her curly red hair into a messy bun, her eyes fell on her bedside clock. 7:27 P.M. _Yaah! Work! _She groaned and leapt out of bed, dashing into the living room where she spotted a certain silver-haired hanyou sitting at the island, his blueprints scattered all over the counter. A pen was in his mouth, being chewed on thoughtfully, while a pencil glided over one of the design papers with the aid of a protractor. She watched him pause, doing the math in his head, before growling, and flipping the pencil around to erase vigorously. She blinked.

"You know you suck at equations." She reprimanded him and he started a bit, looking up at her. She knew that he was usually hyper-aware of her whereabouts and emotions, but she supposed he'd sensed her peace and had become so absorbed in his work that he'd forgotten where he was.

He was a hard worker, he really was. Sure he wanted to do things on his terms and he was extremely stubborn, but he got the job done and he did it all the way. His honor was extremely important to him and that was easy to see.

"You know I called you in sick for work." he shot back, and she slumped slightly, suddenly feeling a bit tired. "But of course."

The stress lines on his face melted away and he stood up to guide her over to a stool, where she sat down and he smiled. "Feel any better?"

She smiled at him and stifled a yawn. "Yes." She said honestly. "Thank you for staying with me."

He chuckled lightly and pulled out 2 frozen T.V. dinners, peeling the plastic off of one and popping it in the microwave. "Stupid, what'd you expect? You should know by now that I'm always going to stick with you."

She smiled at him, a bit brighter this time. "I know." she said, and he grinned at her. The microwave beeped and Inuyasha grabbed the T.V. dinner out and grabbed a fork, setting it in front of Jessica, who laughed. "Ooh, so talented." She mused, winking up at him. "First he sticks by me, then he makes me laugh, and now he cooks me dinner." Using her fork as a 'microphone,' she held it up to her mouth and spoke. "We all want to know, mighty Inuyasha. What on Earth enables you to be so incredible?"

Laughter sparkled in his eyes and he winked back. He leaned towards the 'microphone,' playing along. "Supreme hanyou powers." He answered, and with a grin he bumped her nose with his own and stepped back to place his food in the microwave. She giggled at him and dug in.

"Ooh, delicious." She said between bites and he smirked. "Of course it is." He said with a grin. "Anything that I touch is delicious."

She rolled her eyes and took a bite of the roast beef. "Go ahead, tell yourself that. You need something to boost your ego."

He made a face at her and sat down across from her. The two ate in silence for a minute, save for the occasional scraping of a fork against plastic. Finally, Jessica's movements stopped. Of course, her hanyou friend picked up on this. His ears swiveled and he looked up at her, placing down his own fork. She was staring a bit sadly into her corn.

"He disowned me."

Inuyasha blinked, thoroughly confused. "Huh?"

"My father." He voice quivered slightly. "He disowned me. That's why I don't want to help him."

Golden eyes widened and he forgot his food, hopping over to the other side of the island. Sitting down in another stool beside her, he watched her expression carefully, one hand on her shoulder.

"You didn't have to tell me, I-"

"I wanted to."

His eyes softened and she leaned against him, his arm going around her. "I'm sorry."

Her head shook against him and he frowned a bit. "Don't be sorry over something you can't fix." she said softly and he sighed.

"Just be here for me, okay?"

Smiling softly against her hair, Inuyasha did something he hardly ever did. He tilted his head slightly and kissed her forehead. "I'll never leave your side."

She sighed and the tension flowed a bit out of her shoulders. She wrapped her arms around his waist and he pulled her closer, and for a long time, they held each other, the architect and the surgeon, the orphan and the unwanted, the hanyou and the human. Both hearts were broken; both hearts were praying that this one last time, this one last friendship, would not end up being the final hurt that made whatever small light of hope that was still left within them go out.

Bah, no cliffy. Just angsty waff. And the Paige thing isn't pointless, I swear. She'll be in to play soon, along with some other characters. : Thanks for reading, and please review, help me improve or just give me loff. 33

Arigato!


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Of course I do not own Inuyasha. If I did you would be the first to know. And thank you to my lovely reviewer, ThirdDemonKags.

Chapter 3: Dinner for Four (or more)

"Eh?!"

Jessica felt her eye twitch slightly as she held her cell phone up against her ear, Paige having just finished speaking only moments before.

"Are you serious?"

Her friend let out a sigh, irritated. "Nooo… I'm making this up as I go along. Of course I'm serious!"

Jessica gave a weary sigh and sank down onto the couch, ignoring the curse that came from the kitchen, where Inuyasha was, once again working on the Takahashi file. Her free hand lifted to push a few red flyaways out of her face and linger on her forehead, applying a bit of pressure to relieve a pounding headache. Her slender fingers rubbed slowly, and she winced a bit as the headache worsened suddenly, but soon began to ease up as she massaged her head.

"So what are our options, then?" she asked in a tired voice. Paige was silent for a long moment, and her voice was hard when she spoke. "We're out of options."

Jessica's hand dropped and her headache throbbed.

"I figured you'd say that."

The next day dawned warm and sunny, but Inuyasha kept telling Jessica to take a jacket because he could smell rain coming later. The previous night he hadn't bothered to go home, but had crashed on Jessica's couch and woken up to the smell of bacon and eggs sizzling in the morning.

Now, it was nearing three and the two were headed over to Kouga and Ayame's place, as intended. Inuyasha hadn't bothered to conceal his youkai appearance, seeing as not only was it a lazy Sunday with no one really out at this time, but it would only be Kouga and Ayame there anyways.

Jessica, whom was holding a warm dish of fresh fudge brownies to take, was looking frantically for her other shoe and cursing because they were already running behind. She and Inuyasha had gotten into a row over whether or not she should wear a windbreaker because of the temperature (resulting in him insisting she did, and Jessica blatantly ignoring him.) Now she expertly balanced the plate in one hand and groped around under her bed with the other, yanking her missing shoe out and slipping it on, hobbling and stomping toward the door.

Scowling, she looked at her watch. "Dangit, we're going to miss the subway." She groused, flashing Inuyasha a glare. He growled slightly and before she knew what was happening she was being scooped up and was suddenly leaping through the air, being carried bridal style by a certain impatient hanyou whom even decided to skip the subway and head straight to Kouga's.

When Ayame Ookami opened the front door, it was to find a very annoyed pair of friends standing on her porch. Jessica's red hair was a frizz, her knitted hat flopped to one side, and she was gripping the covered dish rather tightly with one hand. Inuyasha looked rather cramped for an odd reason, with a forced smile on his face. Closer inspection would prove that Jessica wasn't holding onto his arm for only balance purposes, but she was also pinching him rather hard. Ayame let out a wide smile and enveloped both of them in a hug, and immediately Jessica let go of Inuyasha and returned the hug.

Ayame giggled, leading Jessica inside, leaving Inuyasha to follow inside, now possessing the brownies that Jessica had previously handed him. "Kouga!" the female wolf youkai called, smiling over at Jessica. "They're here!"

There was a rush of wind, and soon the modernized, yet still recognizable form of Kouga appeared in front of them. Inuyasha scowled and set the plate down on the arm of the couch, cracking his knuckles, just in case.

"Jessica!" he exclaimed, grasping her elbows and leaning forward to kiss her cheek. She chuckled and responded in kind. "Hi, Kouga!" she said happily, and Inuyasha tensed at the way her eyes sparkled. Why was it that all his female companions were always friends with Kouga?

Smiling down at her, the wolf youkai gave a wink and his gaze shifted to Inuyasha. He smirked. "Hey, mutt-face. How come you didn't take your woman's hat and jacket, hmm?"

Inuyasha and Jessica both blushed darkly and averted their eyes. Inuyasha snorted, even through his embarrassment and reached forward to help his friend out of her jacket. She smiled up at him a bit. "Thanks." She said with a wink, amusement flashing in her eyes. He took her hat as well and hung them up on the coat rack. "Keh." He sniffed, and turned around, crossing his arms.

Jessica suppressed a chuckle at him, and was about to say something, when there was a loud shout and suddenly two short beings came pounding down the stairs. "Auntie Jessie! Uncle Inu!" they cried, and a big smile swept over Jessica's face as she knelt down to meet the two rambunctious children. Toyotomi, (playfully called Tomo by his loved ones) Kouga and Ayame's youngest son, was the split image of his father, complete with a dark ebony ponytail at the back of his head. Standing proudly at six years old, he was the first to barrel into Jessica's arms. His sister, Masumi wasn't too far behind her brother, her red curls springing in time with each bound of her tiny little four year old feet.

Inuyasha looked on with a hidden smile and Jessica hugged the two children, one arm around each. She'd taken to them almost immediately when they had first met, and they to she. Jessica was laughing lightly as Tomo told her a carefully thought out story of how his caterpillar had turned into a butterfly just two days ago. Jessica watched the boy's enthusiasm with bright eyes, nodded and looking extremely interested. Inuyasha chuckled inwardly. Kami, there was no end to the depth of this woman's heart.

Feeling a small tug on his baggy jeans, Inuyasha turned his attention down to the small little redhead smiling up at him. "Uncle Inu." She stated purposefully. He couldn't help but grin and swept her up into a bear hug, making her squeal with laughter. Now it was Jessica's turn to smile fondly at him, before picking up a still rambling Tomo and carrying him into the large dining room behind Kouga and Ayame. Inuyasha followed suit with little Masumi cradled in his arms.

"Sit down, make yourself at home." Ayame encouraged, and Jessica smiled brightly at her, looking to Inuyasha. She was a bit surprised to see that Inuyasha had already done so, and she stifled a giggle at the sheepish look he flashed her. She set Tomo down on the ground beside her and he scrambled into a chair, hastily holding on to the empty one beside it. "Sit here!" he exclaimed and she chuckled lightly, sitting down between Tomo and Kouga, whom was already seated. Kouga patted her knee and gave her a friendly smile, which she returned, and Inuyasha growled at him. Jessica rolled her eyes as Ayame entered from the kitchen, carrying several steaming plates of filet mignon, vegetables and potatoes. Jessica eyed the plates hungrily and almost as soon as the female wolf youkai set down the plates everyone launched for the food.

"Oh, Ayame you are the best!" Jessica cooed as she filled her plate with a reasonable amount of food. Ayame smiled graciously as she cut up the food for her children, respectively.

"And I love her for it." Kouga declared with a wink, and everyone chuckled as even Masumi noticed her mother's light blush.

Dinner went reasonably well, besides the fact that it contained a miniature food fight between the Ookami siblings and a snarling match between Kouga and Inuyasha, which ended in their respective redheaded companions whacking them upside the head to shut them up. After dinner, Inuyasha and Kouga headed outside with the kids, while Ayame and Jessica lingered behind to do the dishes.

Sinking her hands into warm and soapy water, Jessica scrubbed gently yet thoroughly over Ayame's best china plates, while her friend dried them as they were handed to her and put them away.

"So how's it going at the hospital?" Ayame asked as Jessica rinsed a glass and handed it to her. The young woman smiled. "Tiring, but rewarding." she answered honestly. Feeling bad for keeping the part about her father to herself, the surgeon pushed the thoughts out of her mind and resolved to tell Ayame all about it once she had it figured out herself. The youkai looked her, smelling the exhaustion and sadness on her, but didn't push the matter. The two were friends, and Ayame knew when she was ready, Jessica would talk.

The two redheads finished up the dishes and, after Jessica dried off her hands, they walked out onto the back porch, chatting amiably, to join the men and children.

Kouga sat on a lawn chair underneath their large canopy, with Masumi on his lap and together they were reciting the ABC's, a feat she'd recently been proud to master. Jessica' bright grey eyes swept over the large yard and soon rested on her hanyou friend. He was walking innocently under Tomo's tree house, the wolf youkai boy in a pouncing position just about Inuyasha's head. Jessica and Ayame watched in amusement as Tomo sprung and caught Inuyasha around the neck. The mighty hanyou flashed Jessica a small smile, before allowing the six year old to take him down. He may only have a small cub pouncing around on him, but with the fuss Inuyasha made you'd think he was getting attack by the biggest youkai in the universe.

Jessica and Ayame exchanged happy glances and, as Ayame headed over to join her mate and daughter, Jessica made a show of gasping and running to her hanyou friend. "Inuyasha!" she cried out in mock terror. Two canine ears perked up and, as he turned to face her, Inuyasha gave a wink before collapsing on the ground. "J…. Jessica." He panted. "I can't…go on…. I'm….sorry…"

Dramatically, golden eye slid closed as he fell limp. Jessica found it hard to keep a straight face as for added effect he let his tongue flop out of his mouth to one side. _It's a bit of an overkill, don't you think?_

Giving a howl in satisfaction, Tomo dashed over to Jessica and grabbed her around the waist. Giving a small "oh" of fake surprise, Jessica purposely fell backwards onto the soft grass. Looking up, she noticed she was face-to-face with a pair of bright blue eyes. "Oh no" she exclaimed, registering the snickers coming from Ayame and Kouga as she lay there, victim to a six year old's romping. "I guess this is it. Goodbye, cruel world."

With that, Jessica also flopped down and the six year old grinned above her. Tomo cheered in victory and ran over to take down Kouga next.

Jessica's eyes slid open as she listened to the birds and the sounds of Kouga's great "defeat." Suddenly, strong arms were around her and she found her feet planted on the ground. Looking up into his amber eyes, she smiled. "Too bad you were dead or you could've saved me." She grinned, and turned to head back to the porch, when a clawed hand caught her wrist.

She turned briefly and grey met amber once again. His gaze was serious.

"I'll always save you." He promised, and she smiled.

"I know."

The four friends and two children sat together under the large canopy, watching the sun slip below the clouds. It was only about 7:30, but already the children had grown weary and Masumi had recently fallen asleep, curled up in her surrogate aunt's arms. Jessica stroked her red hair gently and Inuyasha and Kouga watched fondly, while Tomo curled on a chair by himself, his eyelids drooping. Just as they were basking in the comfortable silence, Jessica's pager beeped loudly. Checking it briefly, she sighed and stood up, looking apologetically at the entire Ookami family.

"I'm really sorry, I've got to go." She said with a frown and gently handed the sleeping Masumi to her mother, hardly shifting the child at all. "I'll call you tomorrow." She promised to Ayame, who nodded and briefly the friends clutched hands, and the Kouga stepped up to hug her. "You take care of yourself now." He said with a smile, and she chuckled. "Don't you worry about me."

He gave a wink and looked sternly at Inuyasha. "You watch out for her, got it?"

Inuyasha snorted and his arm went around her waist, yanking him to her side. Jessica gave them both a tolerant look but allowed herself to be possessed, briefly. "Of course I will, stinking wolf. Don't I always?"

Kouga gave a cocky smirk and Jessica rolled her eyes, shoving Inuyasha off. "Cut it out, you two. Let's go."

It was nearly dark by the time Inuyasha landed on the roof of the hospital with Jessica on his back. Routinely, she slid off and the two headed down the stairs into the main lobby. Jessica didn't know whom she was supposed to meet, because there was no specific number of a certain doctor on her pager. A few people walked past her, but after letting the receptionist on call know she was here and no one came, Jessica was at a loss. "I don't get it, I-"

"JESS!!!"

Inuyasha watched curiously as his redheaded companion turned around and was swiftly grabbed up into an enormous giant crazy bear hug. Inuyasha blinked in surprise as the mysterious man set her back on her feet and she stared at him dumbly. "Rossi?" she asked, and he man flashed a grin. Inuyasha stared hard at him and suddenly his heartbeat increased tenfold. It… it couldn't be. He'd… he'd been dead for nearly 450 years…

"Miroku." he murmured.

Haha. Sorry. Going to leave you there. I need some reviews before I update again, thanks!

Siberia

Oh, P.S.- I know you're all wondering about Inu's backstory and Kagome's death and stuff like that, don't worry I have a special chapter dedicated entirely to that, in a flashback/nightmare. So… review, stay tuned, and enjoy! Loves!


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Five: The Past

_**Inuyasha watched curiously as his redheaded companion turned around and was swiftly grabbed up into an enormous giant crazy bear hug. Inuyasha blinked in surprise as the mysterious man set her back on her feet and she stared at him dumbly. "Rossi?" she asked, and he man flashed a grin. Inuyasha stared hard at him and suddenly his heartbeat increased tenfold. It… it couldn't be. He'd… he'd been dead for nearly 450 years…**_

"_**Miroku." he murmured**_

Neither one of his current companions heard Inuyasha speak however. Jessica was currently smiling brightly at him and asking him over and over how he could _possibly_ afford such a long, expensive flight at this time, and of course he would be staying with her. Her oddly familiar friend simply chuckled and answered her simply and calmly, almost as if he'd been around her long enough to know exactly how to respond to her. Inuyasha knew he was probably staring like an idiot, but he couldn't help himself. This guy had Miroku written all over him!

While there were obviously modern clothes present and no jingling staff or wind tunnel, this man called Rossi was the spitting image of his long-dead friend from the Sengoku Jidai. He had shaggy, long, dark brown hair that fell a bit past his ears, and wide, intelligent blue eyes that always seemed to be sparkling with amusement at some secret joke. No ponytail held his hair back, but this man… if he didn't know any better, he'd think that Miroku himself had fixed the Bone-Eater's Well, climbed out and went shopping for a new wardrobe. It was appalling.

Finally, after a few more hugs and smiles, Jessica turned to Inuyasha. "This is Rossi." She explained. "He's one of my best friends from America, we grew up together."

Inuyasha blinked himself out of his daze and gave a small, polite smile, shaking Rossi's outstretched hand. Jessica smiled, obviously pleased. "And Rossi, this is Inuyasha. You already know-"

"Ah, the famous Inuyasha." Rossi said with a gleam in his eyes, before reached forward to clap Inuyasha on the shoulder. "I want to thank you for taking care of my lovely Jessica whilst I was otherwise occupied."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Give it a rest." She muttered, and he actually listened, turning away from the growling Inuyasha, and smiled at his friend. Jessica tilted her head curiously and observed him. "Not that I'm not overjoyed, but what's the deal? Why are you here all of a sudden?"

The man's features sobered considerably. "Jess, it's about your father."

Jessica's heart skipped a bit and she stared at him with wide eyes. "W-What?"

"If you'll excuse us for a moment…" Rossi said, before taking her arm and leading her a few feet away.

Lucky for Inuyasha, the man couldn't see his true form. The concealment spell he was wearing made him appear to be a normal, dark-haired Asian, but in reality he was still hanyou, and could overhear what they were saying. He probably could've guessed by their tense body language, anyway.

"… have to see him. I mean, we knew it was going to happen."

"You knew?!" came Jessica's voice, shocked. "Well then, why didn't you-"

"It's hard to explain. But you need to trust me." came Rossi, sounding tired.

"Why should I?" Jessica challenged. "If you saw fit to keep **this** from me, then what else?"

"Please believe me." The man said, a bit softer. "I wanted to; I really did, but Paige..."

"Oh, so she was in on this too?!"

"That's not the point." Rossi said, cutting her off. "We did our best, you know. We did what we had to protect you. We didn't want you to suffer anymore."

"Good job!" she barked, and Rossi fell silent. A brief pause passed and he heard her sigh. "I'm sorry." She said softly. "I'll see him, I will. I'm just… this is a lot to handle."

"I know." came Rossi's voice, and he watched him take a step forward and touch her arm gently. "But, Jess, I promise, everything's going to be okay."

Jessica looked away from him then and looked at Inuyasha helplessly. The hanyou's protective instincts flared instantly, but cooled a bit as she gave him a small smile.

"That's what you always say, Rossi. Please don't end up lying to me again."

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The next few moments were awkward, to say the least. Jessica sat solemnly between Inuyasha and Rossi on a nearby bench, and the two had taken to glaring at each other over the top of her petite form. Inuyasha's arm had been wrapped around her shoulders, to support her. He was worried that with all the stress she'd undergone that she'd collapse or something. He frowned down at her, but bristled as Rossi reached down and wrapped her hand in his. Glaring daggers at each other, mentally fighting for possession of their broken friend, neither noticed when Jessica's slight quivering increased to full-blown shaking. She knew that she had to face her father that night, and it terrified her. Instantly, she was yanked from Rossi's grasp and Inuyasha held her small frame against him, combing through her hair and shushing her, his nose gently pushing against her temple. She relaxed in his arms, and he smiled a bit to himself, relieved.

Jessica listened to his strong heartbeat, repetitive and comforting. Time disappeared and she wrapped her arms around his waist, holding onto him for dear life.

"You can do it." He said softly, reassuringly. "I'll be right here, and I won't let anything happen to you."

"Nor will I." said Rossi gently, and she felt his hand on her shoulder. Inuyasha stiffened, but she paid it no mind.

She let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and nodded. "Alright." She murmured, and slowly pulled away from Inuyasha, smiling at him sadly.

"Uhm, hello? No."

All three spun around to see a woman standing there, her arms crossed over her chest. "No way. You are so NOT going to do this without me."

Inuyasha noticed that her comment was directed at Jessica. But when he turned to look and see her reaction, he discovered she was gone.

"….."

He blinked in surprise, and looked up to see that his red-haired companion was hugging the other woman tightly and both were chuckling softly. "Paige!" she squealed. "Gosh, Paige, I missed you!"

Inuyasha smirked slightly. He thought he'd recognized that voice somewhere. Stepping forward to get a better look, Inuyasha found himself completely shocked for the second time in a span of about twenty minutes.

Jessica now held Paige at arm's length, and the two girls were chatting amiably. Inuyasha peered at the other girl.

Although she had blonde hair, there was absolutely no mistaking who this girl was, or rather, used to be. Her dark eyes were rightly accented by a lush pink eye shadow, and she held herself in such a way that suggested she was extremely athletic. Her longer-than-most blonde hair was cascading over her shoulders, held back towards the middle of her back by a ribbon. This loose ponytail, along with the flash of determination in her eyes and personality (as he remembered from their short phone call a few days previous) it was almost scary… '_Sango! But… How…?'_

Paige was sporting a rather large messenger bag over one shoulder. She explained to the others that there was a cab out front, with both hers and Rossi's things in it, waiting to drive to Jessica's apartment. Having already spoken before, Inuyasha and Paige skipped the formal introductions and immediately, Paige's attention was drawn to Rossi, whom looked as if he'd just been caught trying to steal drugs from the pharmacy. "Rossi Michael Moore!" she shouted angrily, stomping over to him. "You big fat jerk! You can't just expect her to waltz right in there and greet her old Daddy dearest!"

He winced visibly as the woman rounded on him. "But Paige, I-"

"Have a heart, would you?!" she barked. "She's so not ready for this! Are you?!" she shot to Jessica, who looked a bit frightened herself. "Er, uhm… no?"

"See?" she snapped to Rossi. "She's going to go HOME. And we're going to explain EVERYTHING. Later. Got it?!"

Rossi was now cowering behind a rather large plotted plant. He gulped "O… okay."

Paige crossed her arms and glared at him, about to yell at him more, when a soft 'mew' caught everyone's attention and their eyes fell on the small, fuzzy being that was currently poking its head out of Paige's bag. Paige's cheeks dusted pink with embarrassment. "I, uhm, sorry." she explained, looking sheepishly at Jessica. "I know pets aren't allowed in the hospital, but… It's a little chilly out there and I didn't want her to get cold…"

Jessica waved it off, her eyes still trained on the cat that was looking at her with wide, intelligent, blue eyes. She smiled. "Hey there, Coral." She said warmly, reaching down to scratch the cream-colored cat behind its black-tipped ears.

Inuyasha stared once again. It was official: he was losing it. If that wasn't _Kirara_, he'd eat his shoes. The only problem was, she only had one tail. Inuyasha shook his head briefly. _'I need to sleep more.'_

Jessica tried to subtly yawn, hoping not to catch the attention of the others, but everyone, including Coral looked at her. "That's what I thought." came Paige's concerned voice, and she stepped forward to take her friend by the arm. "Let's get you home. You can face your father another time."

Jessica nodded sleepily in agreement and leaned heavily against Paige as the quartet walked out to the waiting cab. And Inuyasha couldn't help himself; he almost felt like he was back with his friends, and it made that hidden, long-dead part of his heart start beating again.

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"_It's time for you to die, Naraku!"_

_Inuyasha ran up to stand beside Kagome, supporting her as she nocked an arrow, aiming it right at their enemy's chest. He smirked at her confident stance and determined expression. He drew Tetsusaiga and positioned himself in front of her. Naraku simply laughed, deep and threatening. "The only ones to die tonight will be the two of you."_

_Unfortunately, Sango and Miroku were in her village for repairs. Having taken Shippo and obviously Kirara with them, it seemed that it was just the original duo. Not that he was complaining, he had spent the past couple days alone with Kagome and enjoying her company and attentions all to himself._

_He smirked at his archenemy and was about to say something degrading when, without warning, a tentacle shot out from Naraku, aiming straight for Kagome._

"_Kagome!!" he shouted fearfully, but he was too late._

_Kagome barely had time to register what was happening before the tentacle had knocked her to the ground, missing its target ever so slightly and tearing a large gash right through her chest. She let out a strangled yelp of pain and terror, one hand flying to her wound to prevent it from bleeding, the other trying to push the youkai's poisonous appendages away from her. "I-Inuyasha!" she cried out hoarsely. "Help!!"_

_But Inuyasha had stilled, breathing heavily. His bangs covered his eyes as he stared at the ground. Kagome watched with bated breath as his body violently pulsed, almost in slow-motion. He looked up then, at Naraku, his eyes bleeding red. Kagome gasped. __**'He's…. his youkai is surfacing! Even though he has Tetsusaiga! I have to help him!'**_

_Furiously, Kagome struggled to at least sit up, but the amount of pain and blood loss was rapidly affecting her and she was becoming more and more weak and lightheaded. "Inuyasha..." she whispered hoarsely, reaching around for her arrows. But she could barely move and as the poison in Naraku's miasma began to take affect she crumpled back down, the earth rapidly rising up to meet her as she hit with a satisfying thud. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from vomiting._

_Inuyasha began clawing, slicing and dicing every stray youkai that came his way. Even when Naraku lay dead in a heap, the completed jewel glowing in his mangled chest, Inuyasha continued to fight anything with legs and a heartbeat.  
_

_Kagome's vision was becoming cloudy._

_  
"Inuyasha..." she whispered again, hoping, praying he would hear her, even in his blood rage. "Come back to me. I need you!" __**'**__**I don't want to die!!**__**'**_

_Kagome finally managed to prop herself up, breathing heavily, tears streaming down her face. Slowly, she lifted her dark eyes to look at him and gasped. "I-Inuyasha!" she uttered and half stumbled, half crawled over to him, ignoring her pain for the most part._

_"Inuyasha!"_

She grabbed on to the front of his haori, looking into his crimson-hued eyes. "Inuyasha, come back to me! Please!!!"  


_Inuyasha snarled and tossed his head, before stilling and growling down at her, his youkai pulsating with evil._

_  
Fear struck Kagome, and suddenly she knew what she had to do. Quickly, she leaned up and crushed her lips to his in a searing kiss._

_Inuyasha stiffened completely, his body going completely rigid, not too much unlike how it did before, when he was under Kaguya's spell. Slowly the heat, anger and blood clouding his mind dissipated and, he fell into her arms, her kiss, completely clueless to what had happened. He forgot Kikyo, Naraku's corpse, the jewel, everything. All that mattered was her._

_Kagome sighed in his arms and after what seemed like an eternity, they broke apart and she looked at him sadly, yet lovingly. "Inuyasha... the jewel." she whispered, motioning toward the glowing thing with a slight tilt of her head. Inuyasha shook his head. "That doesn't matter now." he reassured her. "Now, we need to get you some help…"_

"_Don't." she murmured, fleetingly reaching up to touch his face with her fingertips. She was fading fast and she knew he was the only thing keeping her from crumpling to the ground. He held her tightly as physically possible without hurting her, and gazed down at her, tears and worry filling his amber eyes to the brim. "Kagome?" he whispered softly, afraid for her._

_  
"Inuyasha... you need to know..." she whispered her voice forced and raspy, a mere shadow of the melodic tone he'd grown to adore. "That I... I have always... for... who you are."_

_His breath caught in his chest and his heartbeat increased. "Kagome…?"  
_

_Slowly she looked up at him, a smile forming on her shaking, almost blue looking lips. Her face was already ashen with death and she trembled slightly, holding him as tightly as she could. Struggling, but somehow finding the words, she softly managed to whisper._

"I… love… you."

With Kagome Higurashi fell limp in her guardian's arms, leaving him behind along with the rest of the world.

_Trembling violently, hot tears slipped down Inuyasha's cheeks as he gritted his teeth. '__**No…. no…… KAGOME!'**_

_Inuyasha threw his head back, and howled._

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With a start, Inuyasha awoke from his dream, shaking and trembling. That nightmare had been recurring a while back, and it had been a century or so since he'd had it. It shook him to the very core, and made his heart break all over again. Still shivering from fear, guilt and heartache, he rolled off of Jessica's couch, where he'd stationed himself and padded softly into the kitchen to get something to drink. It must've been 2 in the morning. He was careful not to wake Rossi, whom was curled up with blankets on the floor, or Paige, whom was snoring in the guest room.

He approached the refrigerator quietly. His shaking, clawed hand reached for the door, but he couldn't open it. He was too upset to concentrate. He slumped down on his knees in front of her fridge and squeezed his eyes closed, still trembling violently. _'Kami, just go away! Stop!'_

"Inuyasha?"

A soft, melodic voice sounded from the doorway and it made him jump. "Kagome?!" he gasped, perking up and spinning around.

The hour-glass figure of a woman was standing there, looking at him with worried eyes. He blinked a few times, coming out of his haze, and realized…. It wasn't Kagome.

"Jessica." he breathed, his voice shaky and weak. _'Stop torturing me! Kagome is dead!'_

In an instant she was beside him, on her knees, pulling his figure to hers, holding him protectively as if he were a small child and she his mother. He clung to her like second skin and buried his nose in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. Her scent soothed him slightly but he still trembled.

"You had that dream again, didn't you?" she said softly, and he nodded against her. She rubbed his scalp gently, soothing his ears and brushing what part of his face was exposed with her fingertips.

"I couldn't save her." He managed, and she tightened her grip slightly. "I… I was too weak, I… she died…. Because of me…"

Jessica frowned and kissed his temple to relax him. "No, no, Inu." She murmured, swaying a bit as she held him. "You did everything you could, it was meant to be. Maybe now you can save her, and not have to kill Naraku all over again."

He gave a deep sigh and clutched her all the tighter, inhaling deeply once again. They were silent for a moment, Jessica continuing to soothe him. After a few minutes, Inuyasha sat back just enough so that he could look into her deep gray eyes. She looked at him a bit surprised, she'd never seen his amber orbs look so intense and sincere before. He took both of his hands and held her face gently, rubbing his thumbs, feather-light, over the smooth texture of her cheeks.

"I will **never**," he spoke firmly. "-**never**, let anything happen to you. Do you understand? I will **never** let you get hurt, not as long as I live."

Jessica gave him one of her best smiles, even though her lower lip was trembling slightly.

"I promise." he said softly, looking her straight in the eyes. "Do you trust me?"

A crystal tear slid down her cheek but she managed to hold back the sobs. Gently, his calloused, clawed thumb reached over a bit to gently wipe it away. She nodded and briefly, her eyes fluttered closed, before opening again. "I trust you with my life." She answered honestly, and in that instant he pulled her to him and hugged her tightly, as if afraid that she would disappear at any second and he'd be alone again.

Now, her nose was nestled in the crook of his neck and they held each other for a long while. Finally, they stood and she took Inuyasha into her bedroom with her, in case he had another nightmare. She lay next to him, her head on his shoulder and one hand flat on his chest. It didn't take long for her to fall into sleep, but Inuyasha stayed awake, one arm wrapped around her, stroking her silky red hair fanned out around her. His clawed fingers toyed with her smooth ones briefly, before he shifted a bit so he could see her face.

He'd made a few close human friends over the past 500 years that he'd been waiting. He'd made them, lost them, mourned them, and moved on, their memories tucked away gently in his heart. But Jessica, she was different. It was inevitable that he'd lose her one day, but he was afraid that he couldn't piece himself together after that.

So, for the rest of the night, Inuyasha stayed awake and stared at the sleeping girl, as if to memorize every detail of her face. He'd need these memories, of course, for later. They would help him remember how she changed him, and help him not to miss her so much when she was gone.

Aww. sob

Review! Plot twist, eh?


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